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Why We Need to Equip Rural Girls for Climate Change

Dr. Shenggen Fan

Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute

@ShenggenFan, ​@IFPRI

Dr. Shenggen Fan (樊胜根) has been director general of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) since 2009. He joined IFPRI in 1995 as a research fellow, conducting extensive studies on pro-poor development strategies in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. He led IFPRI’s program on public investment before becoming the director of its Development Strategy and Governance Division in 2005.

Fan is one of the Champions of Target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals, dedicated to inspiring ambition, mobilizing action, and accelerating progress toward cutting global food loss and waste. He was appointed by former UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon as a member of the lead group for the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement. He serves as advisor to many national governments (including China and Vietnam) on agriculture, food security, and nutrition.

Fan received the 2017 Fudan Management Excellence Award, referred to in China as the “Nobel Prize for Management.” The award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of management. In 2014, Fan received the Hunger Hero Award from the World Food Programme in recognition of his commitment to and leadership in fighting hunger worldwide.

Fan received a PhD in applied economics from the University of Minnesota and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Nanjing Agricultural University in China.

REUTERS/Lorgina Minguito

Globally, women and girls face greater vulnerabilities—economic, social, and cultural—than men and boys. There are 330 million poor women and girls—5 million more than poor men and boys—and women are more likely to be food insecure than men in every region.1 Women and girls face further pervasive disadvantages from lower education levels, less access to agricultural information and extension services, and limited land ownership and authority over household resource allocation.2

Under climate change, gender-based inequalities contribute to a disproportionate impact on women and girls, as described in a recent IFPRI report.3 These inequalities include differences in household responsibilities—such as fuel and water collection—as well as access to resources and institutions.4 Gender-based differences in capacities to absorb and adapt to climate-related shocks—as well as differences in household decision making—can also lead to coping mechanisms that disadvantage girls. New research provides insight into the specific challenges faced by girls due to climate-related negative income shocks on households in developing countries.

One common household response to negative income shock is to withdraw children, especially girls, from schools.

One common household response to negative income shock is to withdraw children, especially girls, from schools. Financially stricken families lack the funds needed to support education, including clothing and other school-related expenses, and will need children to assist in household chores.5 A study in Ghana found that increased time hauling water significantly lowers the proportion of girls aged 5 to 15 attending school. Furthermore, having more children under age five also reduced the proportion of girls attending school, likely due to the need for childcare. Households headed by males also showed a lower proportion of girls attending schools, as female heads may have stronger preferences for daughters to continue their education.

Research indicates that another hypothesized result of income shock is the early marriage of girls, especially in regions where bride payment is customary. Households may resort to this coping mechanism to secure a safer or more food-secure household for daughters while also relieving economic burden on the household.6 A study conducted in a different region however did not indicate statistically significant evidence of shocks inducing earlier marriage of girls.7 While causal evidence is weak, the issue warrants further research, as 25 countries with the highest rates of reported child marriage are considered fragile states or countries at high risk of natural disasters.8 The relationship between climate change, education, and early marriage is important, as girls with fewer years of schooling are more likely to marry early, and child marriage reduces educational attainment.9

Climate impact on agriculture affects the well-being and livelihoods of women and girls. Projections show that by 2050 wheat yields will be 49 percent and 36 percent lower in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, respectively, and rice yields will be 15 percent lower in both regions due to climate change. Lower yields would not only result in greater food insecurity and lower incomes, but also could lead to unequal nutritional outcomes for females due to gender dynamics such as preferential allocation of foods to men, with women, once again, eating less and last.10

Addressing these specific challenges facing rural girls and women will be key not only for their empowerment but also to address climate change. One priority will be to invest in girls’ education and training. Educating girls can decrease their chances of early marriage and enhance future employment opportunities.11 It is also imperative that girls’ education includes training on climate-related resources and improved adoption of climate-smart practices.12 Education for both women and men is a key factor in household coping mechanisms disadvantaging girls. In Bangladesh, for example, a male household head’s education was significantly associated with better nutrition and education outcomes for both girls and boys. When women were more educated, younger girls aged 6 to 10 as well as older boys and girls aged 11 to 17 were more likely to receive more education.13

Girls, who are the future of rural economies, need to be equipped to adapt to their changing environment. Research has become one of the most critical tools in this effort, as the limited evidence and knowledge we have needs amplification. Building a solid evidence base for the relationship between climate change and girls’ education, nutrition, health, and welfare is vital for girls’ lives. Participatory research is also needed to provide context-specific knowledge of experiences to build on coping strategies and priorities that have already been proved. In this regard, institutions such as the CGIAR Collaborative Platform for Gender Research will play a crucial role.

In Bangladesh, for example, a male household head’s education was significantly associated with better nutrition and education outcomes for both girls and boys. When women were more educated, younger girls aged 6 to 10 as well as older boys and girls aged 11 to 17 were more likely to receive more education.13

1 UN Women, Turning Promises into Action: Gender Equality in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (New York: UN Women, 2018), http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/publications/2018/sdg-report-gender-equality-in-the-2030-agenda-for-sustainable-development-2018-en.pdf; FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO, The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2017: Building Resilience for Peace and Food Security (Rome: FAO, 2017), https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP-0000022419/download/.